Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
suyuti:574-6b
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٥٧٤-٦b

"مَا زِلْتُ أَطْمَعُ فِى الْخِلَافَةِ مُنْذُ قَالَ لِى رَسُولُ الله ﷺ يَا مُعَاوِيةُ إِنْ مَلَكْتَ فَأَحْسِنْ"  

[ش] ابن أبى شيبة

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Ṭabarānī
tabarani:16961Muḥammad b. ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr from my father > Ismāʿīl b. Ibrāhīm b. Muhājir > ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿUmayr

[Machine] Muawiyah, I have been longing for the caliphate since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ told me, "If it is offered to you, accept it."  

الطبراني:١٦٩٦١حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ ثنا أَبِي عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ مُهَاجِرٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ قَالَ قَالَ

مُعَاوِيَةُ مَا زِلْتُ أَطْمَعُ فِي الْخِلَافَةِ مُنْذُ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «إِنْ مَلَكَتَ فَأَحْسِنْ»